153 new jobs and $11.1 million investment announced at auto supplier TRMI in Battle Creek

BATTLE CREEK, MI – Auto industry supplier TRMI Inc. plans to invest $11.1 million and add 153 jobs over the next three years as it expands its production capabilities in Battle Creek’s Fort Custer Industrial Park.

TRMI (for Tokai Rika Michigan) plans to utilize a new manufacturing process at its facility at Wayne and Hill Brady roads in the industrial park to help it produce some of the many interior electrical automotive switches it makes.

The company produces controls for many of the electrical things
motorists and their passengers use inside motor vehicles. In Battle Creek it currently has about 450 employees.

A company spokesman said the new jobs will be light assembly work and parts production
work such as injection molding. He would not say what the anticipated
pay rate will be.

“It’s another piece of great news for Battle Creek and our region, with over 150 new jobs coming to our community,” said Karl Dehn, president and CEO of Battle Creek Unlimited, the economic development organization for the Cereal City. “TRMI has been in Battle Creek for over 25 years and has had a long history of being an outstanding employer and a very highly skilled employer.”

TRMI is part of a Japanese company that has been a business tenant of the industrial park for 25 years. It is a subsidiary of TRAM Inc. (Tokai Rika America), whose North America headquarters is in Plymouth, Mich.

TRMI was one of four companies to be approved Thursday for Michigan Business Development Program incentives for initiating expansions in the Great Lakes State. TRMI was awarded a performance-based grant of $700,000, complemented by the city of Battle Creek offering a 12-year property tax abatement valued at $712,000.

According to information provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Michigan was in competition for the additional production work with locations overseas and in Indiana.

Dehn said that among TRAM’s plants, the facility in the Fort Custer Industrial Park “employs the highest level of technology they have in North America. So we’re very pleased with their commitment to the community and to our workforce.”

Joe Rine, vice president of human resources for TRAM, said the job additions and the equipment expansion will occur over the next three years, with some of the equipment being brought in later this year.

“We did consider multiple options,” Rine said of where to make the new investment in facilities. “Right now we do have a high-quality work force and we’re happy with the work force so we decided to do that work in Battle Creek. Our associates do a good job.”

“Michigan's comeback story is being documented almost daily with news of companies choosing to invest and grow here,” Gov. Rick Snyder said in a press release about the companies receiving state incentives. The four are expected to invest a total of nearly $14.5 million in the state and add a total of 442 new jobs.

Rine said those interested in applying for a job, may do so at the TRMI plant, 100 Hill Brady Road in Battle Creek. He said some of the jobs are likely to be filled by temporary workers who are employed at the plant through the OnStaff USA worker recruiting service.